Mobile terminal having a screen operation and operation method thereof

Abstract

A mobile terminal and screen operation method for the same are disclosed. The screen operation method includes: displaying a screen containing an amorphous object that is changeable at least in part to a specific form according to an input event; receiving a generated input event; and displaying a concrete object that is generated from the amorphous object by modifying the amorphous object at least in part according to the input event.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A mobile terminal supporting screen operation, comprising:
 a touchscreen displaying an amorphous object having the appearance of a body of liquid, a gas, or a solid composed of sand, soil, gravel or glass; and 
 a control unit controlling the touchscreen for outputting a screen providing the amorphous object, and in response to an input event generated by a touch and drag gesture made on the amorphous object, providing a visual effect to the amorphous object according to at least one of a movement path of the touch and drag gesture and speed thereof, and performing an unlocking function of the mobile terminal when the visual effect meets a preset condition; 
 wherein, 
 the control unit represents an amount of the visual effect as an accumulated parameter value, and performs the unlocking function when the accumulated parameter value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, coinciding with the visual effect meeting the preset condition, and 
 the accumulated parameter value is determined as a number of ripples, a number of overlapping ripples, a ratio of overlapping ripples, or a degree of superposition with reversed ripples. 
 
     
     
       2. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit further controls the touchscreen to display, responsive to another touch gesture, a further visual effect in the form of multiple sets of ripples generated at a predetermined interval. 
     
     
       3. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit further controls the touchscreen to display, responsive to another touch gesture, a further visual effect in the form of reversed ripples generated when circular waves of ripples are bounced off a boundary of the touchscreen. 
     
     
       4. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the control unit further controls the touchscreen to display, responsive to another touch gesture, a further visual effect in the form of deformed ripples generated when waves of multiple sets of ripples overlap causing constructive or destructive interference. 
     
     
       5. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the touchscreen displays, when the mobile terminal is tilted, a modified density or arrangement of the amorphous object according to leaning toward a direction of the tilting. 
     
     
       6. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the amorphous object has the appearance of at least one of the liquid, the gas and the solid without a definite shape. 
     
     
       7. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the accumulated parameter value is determined as the number of ripples. 
     
     
       8. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the screen comprises at least one of:
 a base layer placed below the amorphous object; 
 a time information region to output time information; and 
 a weather information region to output weather information. 
 
     
     
       9. The mobile terminal of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the base layer, the time information region and the weather information region is displayed in a distorted form when the visual effect is provided. 
     
     
       10. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the screen further comprises at least one of:
 a shortcut menu region to output at least one shortcut menu item; 
 a ticker region to output information on received data; and 
 a play ticker region to support playback or play control of an audio file. 
 
     
     
       11. The mobile terminal of  claim 10 , wherein the touchscreen outputs, in response to an event activating at least one of the shortcut menu region, the ticker region and the play ticker region, the activated region, and displays linear wave patterns as the visual effect according to output of the activated region. 
     
     
       12. The mobile terminal of  claim 10 , wherein the control unit activates, when a shortcut menu item of the shortcut menu region is moved for a predefined distance or more or at a predefined speed or more from the shortcut menu region, a user function associated with the shortcut menu item. 
     
     
       13. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the screen further comprises at least one of:
 a release item to support unlocking of a lock function of the screen; and 
 at least one information item to output received information. 
 
     
     
       14. The mobile terminal of  claim 13 , wherein the touchscreen displays at least one of:
 at least one of the release item floating on the amorphous object and the information item; and 
 ripples of concentric circles around at least one of the release item and the information item. 
 
     
     
       15. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the amorphous object corresponds to at least one of:
 the liquid without a definite shape; 
 the gas including wind, fire, fog or vapor; and 
 the solid including land composed of soil, sand and gravel or a glass window displayable as a flat surface on the touchscreen. 
 
     
     
       16. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the accumulated parameter value is determined as the number of overlapping ripples. 
     
     
       17. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the accumulated parameter value is determined as ratio of overlapping ripples. 
     
     
       18. The mobile terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the accumulated parameter value is determined as the degree of superposition of reversed ripples. 
     
     
       19. A screen operation method for a mobile terminal, comprising:
 displaying a screen containing an amorphous object having the appearance of a body of liquid, a gas, or a solid composed of sand, soil, gravel or glass; 
 detecting an input event generated by a touch and drag gesture made on the amorphous object, and in response, providing a visual effect to the amorphous object according to at least one of a movement path of the touch and drag gesture and speed thereof; and 
 performing an unlocking function of the mobile terminal when visual effect meets a preset condition; 
 wherein, 
 an amount of the visual effect is represented as an accumulated parameter value, and the unlocking function is performed when the accumulated parameter value is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, coinciding with the visual effect meeting the preset condition, and 
 the accumulated parameter value is determined as a number of ripples, a number of overlapping ripples, a ratio of overlapping ripples, or a degree of superposition with reversed ripples. 
 
     
     
       20. The screen operation method of  claim 19 , further comprising displaying, responsive to another touch gesture, a further visual effect in the form of multiple sets of ripples generated at a predetermined interval. 
     
     
       21. The screen operation method of  claim 19 , further comprising displaying, responsive to another touch gesture, a further visual effect in the form of reversed ripples generated when circular waves of ripples are bounced off the boundary of the touchscreen. 
     
     
       22. The screen operation method of  claim 19 , further comprising displaying, responsive to another touch gesture, a further visual effect in the form of deformed ripples generated when waves of multiple sets of ripples overlap, causing constructive or destructive interference. 
     
     
       23. The screen operation method of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one of:
 displaying a base layer placed below the amorphous object; 
 displaying a time information region at a portion of the screen to output time information; and 
 displaying a weather information region at a portion of the screen to output weather information. 
 
     
     
       24. The screen operation method of  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the base layer, the time information region and the weather information region is displayed in a distorted form when visual effect is provided. 
     
     
       25. The screen operation method of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one of:
 displaying a shortcut menu region at a portion of the screen to output at least one shortcut menu item; 
 displaying a ticker region at a portion of the screen to output information on received data; and 
 displaying a play ticker region at a portion of the screen to support playback or play control of an audio file. 
 
     
     
       26. The screen operation method of  claim 25 , further comprising at least one of:
 outputting, in response to an event activating at least one of the shortcut menu region, the ticker region and the play ticker region, the activated region, and displaying linear wave patterns according to output of the activated region; and 
 activating, when a shortcut menu item of the shortcut menu region is moved for a predefined distance or more or at a predefined speed or more from the shortcut menu region, a user function associated with the shortcut menu item. 
 
     
     
       27. The screen operation method of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one of:
 displaying a release item at a portion of the screen to support unlocking of a lock function of the screen; and 
 displaying at least one information item at a portion of the screen to output received information. 
 
     
     
       28. The screen operation method of  claim 27 , further comprising at least one of:
 displaying at least one of the release item and the information item afloat on the amorphous object; and 
 displaying ripples of concentric circles around at least one of the release item and the information item. 
 
     
     
       29. The screen operation method of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one of:
 receiving another touch and drag gesture that is moved for a predefined distance or more on a touchscreen displaying the amorphous object; and 
 generating stone skipping ripples along the path of said another touch and drag gesture and unlocking a lock of the screen. 
 
     
     
       30. The screen operation method of  claim 19 , wherein the amorphous object corresponds to at least one of the liquid without a definite shape, the gas including wind, fire, fog or vapor, and the solid including land composed of soil, sand and gravel or a glass window displayable as a flat surface on a touchscreen.